Peacekeeping (DP IB Global Politics: HL): Revision Note

Intergovernmental initiatives

• Peacekeeping is the deployment of international personnel to help maintain peace and stability in areas affected by conflict

  • It is mostly associated with the United Nations but other IGOs can also be involved

UN peacekeepers

• Troops from UN member states, often from same region as the conflict, are gathered and deployed to conflict zones to maintain security and protect civilians during the peacemaking process

• They:

  • respect state sovereignty and only operate with the cooperation of state actors

  • do not generally have the authority to use force - sometimes the UN Security Council authorises the use of force

  • place themselves between conflicting parties to deter violence

  • can, themselves, be targets for violence 

Criticism of UN Peacekeeping missions

• Peacekeepers have difficult missions and struggle to keep civilians safe

• Peacekeepers themselves have participated in human rights abuses, including sexual abuse of vulnerable women, leading to a great loss of legitimacy and calls for greater accountability

• They are not well-funded

  • The global budget of approximately $6 billion per year is modest, given the scale and complexity of operations worldwide

  • Many member states fail to pay their full contributions on time, leaving missions short of essential resources such as vehicles, equipment and helicopters

Current peacekeeping missions involving the United Nations

Actors involved in peacekeeping

• Other actors, including NGOs and humanitarian groups, are also involved in peacekeeping

• These other actors work in cooperation with the United Nations peacekeepers

The International Red Cross (ICRC)

• The ICRC provides protection and medical aid to victims of armed conflict

• It operates under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), also known as the Geneva Conventions, which gives it a unique legal status in conflict zones

• Its work includes delivering medical care, food and clean water, visiting prisoners of war, and reuniting separated families

• Its principles of neutrality and impartiality allow it to gain access to areas other organisations cannot reach

• Current deployments include Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, the DRC and Myanmar

States

• States contribute troops, funding and equipment to UN peacekeeping missions

• Any mission requires the consent of the host state before it can be deployed

• The largest troop-contributing states are mostly from the Global South, including Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Rwanda

NGOs

• Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) deliver humanitarian aid and monitor human rights alongside official peacekeeping missions

• They can often reach civilians in areas where official peacekeeping forces cannot operate

Key organisations

• Oxfam — emergency food, water and shelter; active in Yemen, Syria and the DRC

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) — emergency medical care in active conflict zones, including Gaza, South Sudan and Myanmar

• Human Rights Watch — monitors and documents human rights abuses in conflicts, including Ukraine, Gaza and Myanmar

• Save the Children — protection, education and healthcare for children affected by conflict